Fluid-pressure engine



A a-i128, 1925.

I. K. FOG

FLUID PRESSURE ENGINE Filed Feb. 18., 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 28, 1925. 1,535,659

I. K. FOG

FLUID PRESSURE ENGINE Filefiy9b. 18, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apn28,

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Application filed February 18,1921. Serial N'o. a iases.

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Be it known that 1, Ivan Kenna Foe, a subject of the King of Denmark, residing at Copenhagen,Denmark, have invented new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Fluid-Pressure Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

This invention relates to fluid pressure enginesor driving devices.

In piston engines as hitherto constructed the power developed relatively to the size of engine is rather limited owing to the fact that in each engine the average piston speed must be held below a comparatively low maximum value because the pressure of the driving medium used (such as steam, gas or compressed air) cannot be made suliiciently great to cause a very rapid acceleration of the masses of the piston and the reciprocat provide an engine or driving device capable.

of developing a high power in comparison to its size, and in which the mechanical losses are made as small as possible. This object is attained partly by so constructing and an ranging the engine that the piston, where such is used, can attain an extremely high velocity; and partly by materially reducing the number of parts through which the power generated by the expansion of the driving fluid, are transferred to the energy consumer. i

According to the invention the whole cylinder or its end covers, m the former or latter of which the generated power is taken otl, are movable in the direction of the axis of the} cylinder while the piston moves freely (without any piston or connectingrods) in the cylinder under the influence ot the driving iuid which is supplied alternately to the opposite ends of the cylinder. 'lhuslit is understood that the n'essure of the driving fluid is not transferred by means of the piston to the energy consumer, but the piston operates as a movable pressure bottom, so that the reactions of the forces acting upon the piston cause the cylinder (or its movable covers) to reciprocate. This reciprocating movement of the cylinder or its covers is directly transferred to the energy consumer which latter may be electrical or mechanical.

The number of recipro-cations of the enengine per unit of time is dependent upon the weight of the piston, and consequently the maximum number of reciprocations is obtained when the piston is wholly omitted. In the latter instance the sole weight of the driving fluid creates the above mentioned reaction.

The invention will be further explained with reference to the accompanying drawings in which are shown diagrammatically some example of construction of the engine according to the presentinvention.

In the said drawings Fig. 1 is an axial section through an engine having a heavy piston provided with channels for distributing the driving fluid;

Fig. 2 shows an elevation and partly sectional view of an engine provided with a light piston and valve gear;

Fig. 3 is an axial section through an engine working on the internal combustion. principle Fig. t is. a longitudinal section of an en gine provided with mutually connected sliding cylinder end covers, the diameter of which is equal to that of the piston;

Fig. 5 shows in a similar manner a longitudinal section of an engine, in which the sliding cylinder covers and the pistonshave different diameters; i

Fig. 6 is a plan view ofan engine the interior parts 01' which may be constructedin a manner similar to that indicated in Fig.4, the connection between the movable cylinder covers lying, however, outside the cylinder.

The following characteristic features are. common to all of the examples of construe" t-ion shown in Figures 1-43.

The cylinder which is closed at both ends and arranged to move axially to and fro is supplied alternately with pressure energyat opposite ends, so that the mass oi the piston moving freely, in the cylinder without the use of connecting rods, or in the case of a piston-less engine the mass ot the expand ing fluid, owing to the expansion of the latter receives energy in the form of kinetic energy. 'llhe cylinder like receives energy in the form of kinetic energy, but in the opposite direction to that of the piston or the expandino fluid, and in such a manner that coinpr ion takes place, at the end of the cylinder where no expansion occurs at the moment.

Thus when the expansion and the compression are completed the relative velocity between the piston and the cylinder is at zero. Part of the kinetic energy is converted into pressure energy whereas the balance of the generated energy minus the power losses is taken away from the engine from outside by braking the movement of the cylinder.

At the moment when the relative speed,

is at zero (the piston or the driving fluid is standing still with respect to the cylins dcr the expanded fluid is exhausted to an extent which forms the equivalent of the energy taken away from the engine (the available energ plus the power losses. The available energy is taken awayfrom the cylinder by braking its reciprocating movement as stated above.

The various constructions illustrated in Figures 1%} will now be described.

In the construction shown in Fig. l, the engine is supplied with the driving fluid. such as steam or c ,ntpresscd air, through a flexible hose or tube 1, an inlet branch 52 and a circui'ntercntial groove or channel 3 [formed in the wall 1- oi. the cylinder, the latter being closed at both ends b covcrS 5.

in the position ot' the piston 7 shown in the drawing a coi'iduit (i in the piston communicates with the groove ll. so thzt. the driving .tiuid strcan'is to the leitrcnd ot' the cylinder 4: thereby (arcing the piston i towards the rigrlit-cvb inder end. hen the connection between the channel (3 and the groove 3 is shut otl no more driving fluid is admitted, and the expansion oi the fluid in the left-end ot the cylinder "hen conunenccs. At the same time the right end of the cylinder 4': is in comll'ilillltli'loli with the exhaust passages S and 11 and the exhaust takes place partly through the outlet branch 9 and the i'levible hose. 10 and partly through the bore or channel 14- of the piston, the outlet branch 12 and the 'lexible hose 13. The piston moves constantly towards the right. and si inultancously the cylinder 4 moves towards the left. As soon as the right end of the piston 7 and the outlet of the conduit 14:,

terminating at the cylindrical surface of the. piston, pass the exhaust passages 8 and 11 respectively the exhaust is cut olt, and comprssion begin in the right end of the dcr. l i hcn the left end of the piston i' and the inlet-opening ot the conduit (5 ci rcuinicrcnt ialreach the passages 11 and 8 respectively, the exhaust of expanded fluid from the lett end of the cylinder begins, and when the inlet opening of the conduit let comes in to con'nnunication with the groove 3 the driving fluid is admitted to the right end of the cylinder. Just a momcnt later the relative velocity between the cylinder and the piston becomes zero, whereattcr the movements are continued in directitms opposite to those above indi *ated, and in this manner the operation of the engine continues.

The cylinder 4 is guided dnrin-gits-movements by means of cylinder supporting arms 15 which are adapted to slide along stationary guide rods 16.

In Figures Zand 3 the flexible hose connections-and the. means for guiding the cylinder are not shown.

lathe construction shown in Fig, Qthe piston 17 is short and is not provided with conduits. The cylinder 18 issupplied with driving fluid throughopening's 19 in the c vers 20, the admission otfluid being con trolled by valves Qloperated in a suitable u'ianner not indicated on the drawing,

The expanded fluid escapes-through the circumferential. groove 22 and the outlet branch 23 cm'i'imunicating therewith, and the cylimlercnds are alternately and automatically put in connection with this groove 22' and disconnected therefrom through the motion of the piston as willjbo understood from the above explanation of the operation of the engine illustrated in Fig. i.

In the construction shown in. Fig. 3 the pressure energy oi? the driving fluid is created by internal con'iluistion in thecytinder 24-, the fuel and air being admitted through the branch 25. while the exhaust gases cscapethrouc'h the out-ct branch 26. Thus itwill be understood tnat the cmbodiment in question works on the same principle as the well known valve-less twostroke-internal combustion engines. T he fuel and air mixture is ignited by means of electric sparks produced between rods 3L insulated from the cylinder covers and annular projections 27 upon the ends of the piston 28, said rods-and projections co-actina in a manner similar to that of the well known make and break contacts. The engine is started by meansiot a displaciudile rod 29, and during running of the engine the available power is transmitted to the energy consumer, which may be an electric generator not shown) by means of the rod 30.

The inlet branch 25, is, by means ot' a flexible hose such as the hose 1 shown in Fig. 1 or by means of twotelescopic pipes, connected with some suitable source of air and fuel mixture, for example a carburetteror a receptacle into which tueland air mixture is pumped by a separate pump. Let us now assume that the piston 28 occupies the positlon shown n Fig. 8 and is moving towards the right. The left cylinder space then contains expanding" combustion gases and the right cylinder space contains a mixture ol l uel and air. This charge is compressed during the movement of the piston towards the right, and when the left hand end of the piston uncovers the branch 26, the exhaust begins, and during a short movement later the piston end also uncovers the inlet branch whereby the fresh charge will rush into the cylinder, forcing the remainder of the exhaust gases out through branch 26. The compressed charge in the right end of the cylinder is then ignited so that the piston is driven towards the left,

i and so on. i-

ing upon the pistons cause the cylinder covers to move to and fro, and this reciprocating movement of the covers is transferred directly to the energyconsumer.

The length of the travel of the movable cylinder covers with respect to the leun'th oi the travel Of the piston may be varied by making the movable cylinder covers oi a diai'i'ieter different from that of the piston.

in Fin. 4; the cylinder is designated by 37, while 38 and 39 are the movable cylinder covers, 40 the pistomtl a rod connectingthe covers with each other, and 42 a rod for transmitting the power generated.

In Fig. 5 the part 43 of the cylinder in a which the piston 46 reciprocates freely has a diameter different from thediameters of the cylinder ends 49 and 50 in which the covers 44 and 45 slide, whereby the length of travel of the inter-connected cylinder covers differ from that of the piston. The numeral 1-7 indicates a rod connecting the covers with each other. and 48 is a rod wherebythe power generated may be transmitted to the energy consumer.

Fig. (5 shows a construction in which the movable covers (not shown) of the cylinder are mutually connected-by means of rods (32. transverse pieces and COHHQQiJlIlf); bars The power generated is transmitted by means of the rod 61 which is firmly conlletled to the cylinder cover unit.

It should be noted that the word cylin-' der as used in this description and the followingclain'is is not restricted to the ordinary meaning of this expression, but is ining' piston, these terins are intended to cover a piston which reciprocates in the cylinder under the influence of the driving fluids without the use oi mechanical connections, so that the piston does not transmit useful energy to exterior parts but serves only as a recoil element and to compress the fluid alternately at opposite ends'ot the cylinder.

Having this fully described my invention 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. An engine or driving device compris ing a cylinder, means for supplying driving fluid, alternately to the opposite ends of the said cylinder, means for exhausting said driving: fluid when expended, a piston sliding freely in said cylinder and adapted to reciprocate therein under the influence of the driving fluid, said piston not being mechanically connected with any other part or parts of the engine and serving only as a recoil element and to compress the driving: fluid alternately at opposite ends of. the cylinder, and means independent of said piston for transmitting the power generated by the expansion of said fluid.

2. All engine or driving device comprision" a cylinder arranged for reciprocating movement in the direction of its axis means for supplyii'ig driving fluid. alternately lo the opposite ends o'rthe said cylinder, means For exhaustion said. driving fluid, when ex panded, and a piston sliding ilireely in said cylii'ider and acted upon altermttcly by the driving: fluid from opposite ends of the cyl inder, said piston not being; mechanically connected with anyother part or parts of the engine and said piston being adapted to act as a yieldingpressure-bottom for causing the reaction of the forces acting upon the piston to impart a reciprocating movement to the cylinder.

An internal combustion engine or driving device comprising a cylinder, means for supplying fuel and air alternately to he opposite ends of the said cylinder, means for exhausting combustion products formed by combustion of said fuel, and a piston sliding); freely in said cylinder and adapted to reciprocate therein under the influence of the expanding comlmstion products said, piston not being mechanically connected with any other part or parts of the eitigine.

4. An internal combustion engine or driving device comprising a cylinder arranged for reciprocating movement in the direction of its axis, means for supplying" fuel and air alternately to the opposite ends of the said cylinder, means for exhausting combustion products formed by combustion of saidfuel; and a piston sliding freely in said cylinder and acted upon alternately by the combustion products expanding in the opposite ends of the cylinder said piston not being, mechanically connectedto any other part or parts of the engine.

In testimony whereo fl have afiixed my signature-1n presence of two Witnesses;

IVAR ROBBIE FOG.

\Vitnesses VIGGO. BLOM, CECIL V. SCHOLL. 

